Naseeruddin Shah-Act of benevolence

Naseeruddin Shah, who has just finished his film Bolo Raam, refused to take any fee for the film, because he thought it would be an injustice to the script if any commercial angle was brought in. India’s finest talent didn’t charge a penny from director Rakesh Chaturvedi or producer Goldy Bhutani and left everyone stunned.

Another reason for Naseer rejecting any money for this film is the nostalgia of working with Padmini Kolhapure after a gap of two-and-a-half long decades. The duo was last seen together in Woh Saat Din in 1983.

“I believe that scripts like Bolo Raam are very rare and they require a lot from an actor. I am sure that if I would have charged any money for the film, I wouldn’t have been ever able to deliver my best and it would have been an injustice with the film. Padmini’s presence in the film is another reason, which led me away to talk about any financials, because we are coming together on screen after a span of 26 years.” Responding to this big favour by Naseer, the director said, “I think Naseerji is a great personality on as well as off-screen. When I narrated the script of Bolo Raam to him, he was so moved that he said he was doing my film and to relieve me of any problem, he said he was doing it for free. I can’t say how obliged I felt. I thank him from the bottom of my heart and can proudly say that he is the finest actor India has ever produced.”